Danish Block Of The Pirate Bay Leads To Even More Traffic

from the nice-publicity-stunt,-IFPI dept

We've noted in the past that every time the RIAA or the IFPI scores a "significant blow" against an operation they accuse of piracy, it only seems to drive more attention to those sites. That appears to be happening once again. Since the IFPI convinced a Danish court to block users from accessing the Pirate Bay, traffic from Denmark to the Pirate Bay has actually increased, thanks mainly to the news coverage of the story. So, for such a significant blow, it appears that all the IFPI has succeeded in doing is providing free advertising for the Pirate Bay.

Funny

Don't be too Excited about it ...

I sincerely doubt they are surprised by this. They did however strike a significant blow when it comes to precedent. They will be telling every other country that Denmark had the courage to stand up to piracy and now they should too.

That said I hope Denmark recognizes the error they made and reverse that decision, but with all the money the IFPI, RIAA, and whoever else are throwing at government officials I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

Re: Don't be too Excited about it ...

I agree its a WIN for the IFPI + RIAA, but the other hand they will run out of money to fight this stupid battle long before Torrent sites fall. Untill the market finds a soloution people are going to be willing to adjust to. for better or for worse this is a win in a round about way for the Priate Bay.

Re: Re: Don't be too Excited about it ...

eh, they'll never run out of money. As much as I'd like them to, and as much as I personally boycott them and convince others to do the same whenever and wherever I can (Buy directly from the band! Buy used! Don't listen to the radio and its crappy corporate music! Make your own music and refuse the traditional avenues!), I just don't see it happening. Then again, with enough time maybe it will. All I can do is do what I can and hope others join. If it spreads enough...

But I do agree that this "victory" they are claiming is just another false one. I made an analogy about this before, they are trying to stop a meteor shower with shotguns.

Re: Don't be too Excited about it ...

How significant a blow is it, if the site is getting more traffic? They can go tell everyone to stand up to the Pirate Bay, just like they did. As we've seen here, and repeatedly in the past, it will only make the site and others like it more popular.

So while the IFPI, RIAA, et al go beating their chests in exuberance, more and more people will be finding and using the sites to which they've "dealt significant blows."

Mike's got it right -- if these groups want to make any headway they've got to stop these fruitless attempts that always, always backfire. And stop suing their customers, too -- who would have thought you need to explain that to someone.

DNS-blocking

Also, the way they are "blocking" is ridiculously easy to circumvent. I agree this is probably a victory in terms of setting a precedent but to ask isps to block an url in their dns is, to use an old catch-phrase, soooo laaaaame. OpenDNS anyone?

Blocking

There is no good way of blocking. No matter what they do, someone will find a way to prevent it.

Blocking DNS? Change your DNS configuration.

Firewall rule to prevent the ports? Change ports/use proxy

Blocking based on content? Change encryption/signature.

Come ON. They're trying to fight the SAME battle as others tryed agains viruses... and viruses are still winning after all those years. As for the "precedent", do you really think that will change anything? Other countries will point out: "yea they tryed.. and FAILED! So why should I put my money in a useless fight?"

That IS the precedent. The more they try, the more other ISPs/Countries will just see that you can't fight piracy, you must COMPETE piracy. Just watch at the beginning of the lat century, when they tried to prohibit alcohol... we see what legislation can do against what customers want.

RIAA, IFPI, MPAA and law makers forget something very basic about life: the laws are good ONLY if the people obey. You can make as much law as you want, if nobody follow them, it's a waste. And since the beginning of time, governement used fear of repression to force people to obey law they didn't want. Now, with Internet, it's way easier to disobey without getting caught: remove fear and you see the crappy laws fail.

Who Are They Kidding?

The IFPI and RIAA claim this as a major victory for themselves, but the numbers do not lie. They've only created a monster that they're not able to stop. The more publicity they give these sites the more powerful they make them. Really ironic. It's as if they actually want these sites to succeed by trying to shut them down. Making themselves to be the ultimate bad guys and P2P the ultimate good guys shoving it to the Man. I've utilized The Pirate Bay on several occasions and found it at best mediocre, but for the fact that they stick by their guns and haven't given up the fight like so many other torrent sites. As long as I'm able to download my Linux distros and other open source applications I really don't give a damn about the RIAA/IFPI/MPAA/MAFIAA and their whining about losing money. Screw them.

Malformed html

Seriously, they cannot win. And who suggested that isp's stop people at the DNS level? As if there weren't enough people using OpenDNS already. Well, at least this will educate users about how to manually set DNS.

I have a line in my /etc/network/interfaces file which looks like:

dns-nameservers 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220

Something to that effect. I might have them on separate lines. Anyway, keeps me away from clogging my isp's nameservers. OpenDNS must be getting hit up pretty hard, though.

Re: Malformed html

the real pirates

I think I will point out that all this court news to do with torrent users does not stop music piracy. The real pirates are in basements and warehouses with walls of duplicators making counterfeit music and movie packages to sell. The pirates bay will ultimately be found innocent of any crime, which we already know, and the bootleg cd's and dvd's will go on selling on the streets and in small shops. Until the music industry make a product that is cheaper and easier to buy legal rather than bootleg, it will continue to be this way.

Re: MAKE PEACE-DESTROY DENMARK!

Real nice.
"FUCK U DANES" and "DIE IN HELL!!!" isn't seem very peaceful.
By the sound of it, you are the sort of false Muslim (like the Al-q Adea) that hijacks the Prophets' name to serve your own unholy purposes. That is precisely what the most hated cartoon (the bomb-in-turban one) protested against.
Do you want a better world, or are you just happy to be angry?

Re: MAKE PEACE-DESTROY DENMARK!

SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU FUCKING RACIST BASTARD YOU MOTHER FUCKER BITCH IM DANISH YOU DUMP FUCK DONT YOU INSULT MY COUNTRY LIKE THAT MOTHER FUCKING ASS WIPE SHIT HEAD but i do agree with the death of Anders Fogh Rasmussen HES A FUCKING ASS HOLE CANT EVEN CONTROL DENMARK THAT ASS WIPE BUT DONT YOU FUCKING INSULT THE OTHERS YOU FUCKING ASS HOLE